Emergency package and splint.



S. G. SLAUGHTER.

EMERGENCY PACKAGE AND SPLINT.

APPLIDATION FILED MAYIO, 1910.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

MIIA Fuwonlnlm co., WASHINGTON. n. c-

SAMUEL G. SLAUGHTER, 0F LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA.

EMERGENCY PACKAGE AND SPLINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Application filed May 10, 1910. Serial No. 560,515.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL G. SLAUGH- PER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Emergency Packages and Splints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable otheis skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in emergency splints for use by surgeons.

It has for its objects to provide a splint which may be readily adjusted to all portions of the body, and which shall possess the necessary degree of rigidity and permit of bandages being applied in the most effective manner, while at the same time the splint in its collapsed form may be readily adapted for use as an emergency kit to contain such supplies as may be desired.

In case of an emergency and where a surgeons usual appliances are not available, it has been the custom to utilize ordinary boards, or other reasonably stiff material to temporarily treat broken bones, but even when such means are available, it is not only difficult but almost impossible to use such means for all parts of the body, as most frequently tools are not at hand to cut a board to fit the conditions found in accidents, and under all such conditions even though a board or equivalent may be found, the difficulty attending the prevention of the playing of fractured bones and increasing pain often causes greater injury.

The object of my invention is to provide a splint which may in a collapsed condition occupy a comparatively small space, and which may be readily distended or length ened to support any and every portion of the body, and which will also permit of securely and properly bandaging the injured portion regardless of its cross-section area, and which splint may also constitute a receptacle or kit for bandages, and other necessary first aid medicines, etc.

With these ends and objects in view, my invention consists of an emergency splint consisting of a series of sections telescopically connected at their lateral extremities and provided with a series of longitudinal slots or openings adapted for the passage of bandages in order that the splint may be securely attached in place.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may know how to make and use my improved splint and fully appreciate its advantages, I will proceed to describe the same referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing, in Which- Figure 1, is a perspective view of my improved splint in its collapsed form; Fig. 2, is a cross section on the line aa of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3, is a perspective view showing the splint in extended condition.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

1, is a receptacle for containing my improved splint, which receptacle may be com posed of straw board, leather or other suitable material, with its longitudinal edges turned upwardly to a suitable extent and its ends turned upward and folded as indicated in dotted lines at Fig. 1. The box or receptacle is closed by the splint which consists of two or more sections 6, 7, 8, of suitable stilf metal, such for instance as light sheet metal suitably curved in cross section to suitably adapt it to any portion of the body. Each of these sections is formed near each end with a series of parallel slots 9, and intermediate of these slots with any desired number of similar longitudinal slots or perforations 10. These and intermediate slots at different distances from the central line of the sections permit of the passage of bandages to firmly attach the splint to any portion of the body according to its particular cross sectional area, and the slots adjacent to the ends may also serve as a means for securing the several sections in their collapsed condition, in which condition and in connection with the containing box or receptacle, constitutes means for containing emergency supplies such as lint, bandages, instruments,etc., as diagrammatically shown at 4, in Fig. 2, and which may be held in place by a suitable wad of non-absorbent cotton to be used as an elastic lining for the splint when used.

The longitudinal edges of several splint sections are flanged or returned inwardly as shown at 11, in order that they may be connected telescopically and in order that when extended and by reason of the semicircular cross-section of the several sections a rigid relation will exist throughout the entire length of the splint. It is imnoitant as shown that these flanges shall be inturned as shown as, if outwardly trendcd any lateral extension of the sections would tend to separate them.

When the sections are collapsed as shown in Fig. 1, the end slots 9, register so that bandages 12, may pass through the same to secure the sections in place Within the box or receptacle 1. A third bandage or strip 13 may be threaded through the intermediate slots and fashioned into a handle by which the kit may be readily carried. The bandage slots in the several sections varying in distance from the central lines enables bandages to be applied to small or large limbs to hold the same snugly within the splint, and as before stated the fact that the sections are semicircular or curved in cases of emergency, it can be readily used in connection with an arm, a leg or any other portion of the body, and until specially designed devices can be available.

From the foregoing it will be readily up preciated that the several sections of the splint while adapted to telescopic movement with reference to one another to increase or decrease the length of the splint, that the several sections are also capable of being separated to produce a series of short splints to be used on different portions of the body.

What I claim as new and desire to sccurc by Letters Patent is:

An emergency splint composed of two or more transversely curved sections slid-ably and separably connected one With another at their lateral extremities, and formed with longitudinal slots at various localities adapted to receive securing bandages. ubstantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL G. SLAUGHTER.

Witnesses:

CLYDE JENNINGS, S. V. KEMP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

